High frequency growth variability of White spruce clones does not differ from non-clonal trees at Alaskan treelines

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Martin Wilmking - , University of Greifswald (Author)
  • Allan Buras - , University of Greifswald (Author)
  • Pascal Eusemann - , University of Greifswald (Author)
  • Martin Schnittler - , University of Greifswald (Author)
  • Mario Trouillier - , University of Greifswald (Author)
  • David Würth - , University of Greifswald (Author)
  • Jelena Lange - , University of Greifswald (Author)
  • Marieke van der Maaten-Theunissen - , Chair of Forest Growth and Woody Biomass Production (Author)
  • G.P. Juday - , University of Alaska Fairbanks (Author)

Abstract

Northern and elevational treelines are classic sites for dendroclimatological studies. At these marginal sites only one climate parameter is usually considered growth limiting and trees from these sites are therefore used to reconstruct that parameter back in time. Marginal sites are also those sites within a species range, where clonal reproduction is most frequent. Clonal growth can ensure plant species survival and growth under stressful conditions or if the environmental conditions do not allow sexual reproduction, e.g. by layering, by stems resprouting after damage, or through the exchange of resources between different clone ramets (“stems”). We literally stumbled across clonal and non-clonal growth forms of White spruce growing intermingled with each other at two Alaskan treeline sites. The two growth forms could not be distinguished a priori in the field. After sampling and detection of clones we thus asked whether clonal ramets and non-clonally grown trees (singletons) showed similar growth patterns. Clones were identified by identical multilocus genotypes in a SSR microsatellite genotyping analysis and radial growth was analyzed using traditional tree ring width methods High-frequency growth patterns were very similar between singletons and clonal ramets in Alaskan treeline White spruce, thus posing no problem in including both reproductive strategies in a classic dendroclimatological investigation.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)187-192
Number of pages6
JournalDendrochronologia
Volume44
Publication statusPublished - 31 May 2017
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85020634010

Keywords

Library keywords